Blog & News

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. It is a time dedicated to child abuse education, awareness  and  prevention. Current data from  The Centers for Disease Control  is  as follows: Sexual violence is common. More than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetimes. Nearly 1 in 5 women and 1 in 38 men have experienced completed or attempted rape...Read More

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence[1] recently published the following disturbing statistics regarding Dating Violence : TEEN DATING VIOLENCE Nearly 20.9% of female high school students and 13.4% of male high school students report being physically or sexually abused by a dating partner. Nearly 1.5 million high school students in the United States are physically abused by dating partners every year. A 2013 study of 10th graders found that 35%...Read More

Many professionals such as First Responders, mental healthcare workers, lawyers, judges, police officers, clergy  and others who routinely come in contact with trauma and suffering as part of their work  can suffer emotional and physical affects because regular interaction with trauma can take a toll. The result can be what is termed  “vicarious trauma.”  When we experience on a daily  basis overwhelming  information that is horrific and disturbing —our bodies,...Read More

CONROE – Father Manuel Antonio La Rosa Lopez left a Conroe courtroom in manacles Wednesday after being sentenced to ten years in prison for two counts of indecency with a child. “He feels remorseful. This is a sad episode that’s over,” said his attorney Wendell Odom. The cases stem from his sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy while La Rosa Lopez served as pastor at Conroe’s Sacred...Read More

As a Crime Victim Lawyer, one of the most important meetings is the initial interview to listen to the victim’s story. Just verbalizing the sexual violence they suffered can be re-traumatizing, so, lawyers should understand their role as Trauma Informed advocates in order to foster a trusting environment in which the client can tell their story uninterrupted. Consider the following: Tell the victim you are sorry that they suffered sexual...Read More